Splash Damage Faces Major Layoffs Amid Industry Turbulence

What’s Happening at Splash Damage?

So, here we are folks. Splash Damage, the one-time crown jewel of multiplayer mayhem, is back in the news, but not for the reasons we’d like! After shaking hands with private equity investors and saying goodbye to Tencent just two months ago, the studio has decided to enact some serious layoffs to “stay agile.” I mean, who knew that being nimble meant tossing your team out like last week’s pizza leftovers?

A Challenging Market and Layoff Blues

The folks at Splash Damage announced that they’re going through a “studio-wide consultation process” — which is a fancy way of saying they’re getting ready to let people go. They went on to say, “This was a difficult step for us to take, but we believe it is necessary so Splash Damage can remain agile and adaptable in what has been a very challenging market.” Just a tip for the corporate vocabulary: saying “agile” a million times doesn’t make it any less sad.

When it comes to the layoffs, they’re doing their best to cushion the blow, promising guidance and support to their soon-to-be-ex-employees. Bless their hearts! While being in UK territory means they have to follow legal processes that allow employees some insight into why they’re being axed, let’s face it: all the consultation in the world isn’t changing the fact that someone’s got to go.

Now, let’s take a moment to reflect on the gaming industry as a whole. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the past few years, and not the fun kind that leaves you laughing and dizzy but more like that one weird ride that just makes you question your life choices. “Agility” seems to be the corporate buzzword of the moment, often used as a thinly-veiled excuse to trim the workforce… and by trim, we mean chop it down to a bonsai tree size.

Once upon a time, Splash Damage was the go-to studio for multiplayer excellence with hits like Enemy Territory and contributions on Columbia’s iconic action game series. But since their last game release back in 2020, things have taken a nosedive. Do you remember Outcasters? Yeah, me neither. It was a party shooter exclusive to Stadia — which also decided to pull the plug on that venture. Talk about a double whammy!

Then came the much-hyped Transformers Reactivate. Announced in January 2023, it had fans buzzing until we were all left in the dark for over two years, only to find out the game had been canceled. Cue the collective facepalm! And if that wasn’t enough, even their exciting collaboration with Twitch streamers for Project Astrid seems to have vanished into thin air. Where did it go? We may never know!

In short, it seems like Splash Damage is facing an uphill battle that no amount of agility is going to cure. As they move forward, let’s hope they find their footing and bring back the fun! Until then, keep your fingers crossed for our favorite gaming studios because who doesn’t love a good comeback story?